OMG! Texting Leads To Car Crash In Crystal Lake
CRYSTAL LAKE (CBS) - A Lakewood teenager likely won't be texting while driving anytime soon. She learned the hard way what a dangerous mix it really is.
The teen drove a car into Ralph Berg's Crystal Lake home while she was distracted, police said.
"The cell phones show what time texts are going in and out," Crystal Lake Patrol Cmdr Dan Dziewior told CBS 2's Kristyn Hartman. "It was at the very moment the crash occurred that there was a text received."
Near Berg's home there is a bend in the road that most drivers can handle. But the 16-year-old behind the wheel Sunday apparently let her eyes wander at the absolute wrong time.
LISTEN: Newsradio 780's Mike Krauser Reports
Podcast
"Sometimes we forget, once you close the door, roll up the windows ... you're enclosed in your own little environment that you're actually moving a 4000-pound car down the road," Dziewior said.
Police say she rounded the curve and then jumped the curb. Tire tracks in the lawn lead straight to Berg's garage.
Berg's wife heard "a loud crash," he said, "She came out here, and the gal was getting out of the car."
Lucky for her, she's OK, and she didn't hurt anyone else. Berg describes her as apologetic.
"And then her father showed up, and he was very apologetic. He said they'd take care of everything, but it's a pain in the neck," Berg said.
He says the lesson learned is simple: Don't text and drive.
The teenager's tickets include one for improper use of an electronic communication device. Here's the zinger for the homeowner: It's the second time a driver has plowed into his place. He says the first was a case of inattention, too.
